How I Grew My Practice to a Waitlist in Six Weeks: Support Network

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How I Grew My Practice to a Waitlist in Six Weeks: Support Network

In my last post I discussed how niching down was vital to me growing my practice to a waitlist in six weeks. With my determination to succeed, and newfound niche, my phone continues to ring with new clients. Looking back with the first couple of months under my belt, the best thing I did for my practice was investing in a good support network.

Next Level Practice

I knew that I needed support in order to make this successful. There was so much I did not know and I knew I would need help along the way. One of the best decisions I made was to join Next Level Practice cohort. I went back and forth about the decision to join because I was worried about whether or not I could afford it, but I decided to try it for a month and then discontinue if I didn’t find it helpful. 

I’m an ideas person. I have five “millionaire dollar ideas” before breakfast most days. I’ll listen to a podcast, while driving to work, and get really excited about applying that marketing tool, or business strategy to my practice. But, business, marketing, and sales are VERY different when you apply it to the therapy world. You have to run every idea through a long filter and ask – is this ethical? Will it harm or offend my clients in anyway? Is there any liability with implementing this? Is this a waste of time? And, eventually, all that stress will make me give up the idea entirely.

I needed a group of therapists that I could turn to that were also interested in business, growing a private practice and providing sound, clinical services. So, I joined Next Level Practice and have found it so helpful in bouncing ideas off of other therapists and getting same-day feedback. I also have gotten a ton of new ideas from other people in the group in the way they are marketing their practice or implementing systems (my idea board on Trello is going to max out at some point, I’m sure).

Private Practice Coach

The second support I put into place was I hired a private practice coach to meet with three times before I even opened the practice. This helped me gain clarity on my visions, develop my elevator pitch, and it was a huge help in writing my intake paperwork. Having a second set of eyes on your business is vital at all times, especially in the early stages. I was so enthusiastic and excited that there were a lot of things I could have missed along the way when launching it. I have too many emotions in my business to be 100% logical in my planning and thinking. It helps to have someone else in your field as a second pair of eyes.

She also developed a marketing plan with me during our last meeting and I will use that plan until the end of time. The marketing plan was the ultimate reason I was able to grow my practice to a waitlist in six weeks (meaning all my slots were full). As therapists, we have no marketing background in school and it can be tricky to apply marketing systems to our specific filed and niche. I’d rather pay someone to learn how they did it, than waste a year trying to figure it out for myself. It helped me fast-track my growth.

I am continuing to build my support group as my practice grows. It has been the one thing I’d recommend above all else for anyone in private practice. As I continue to grow, I have new questions everyday about what direction I should go in, when I should expand, how to market, etc. The questions won’t stop and I sleep better at night knowing that I have a good support network of people in the same boat as me, willing to help.

 

Danielle Swimm is a wellness enthusiast who has a passion for mind and body health. She’s a newlywed that enjoys spending time with her husband and dogs in the great outdoors. She has a love for learning about business and hearing other entrepreneur’s stories. She provides psychotherapy in Annapolis for clients suffering from disordered eating.